International arrivals at the Kotoka International Airport have shot up from 200 on the first day the airport was reopened to air traffic to 641 by Sunday, 6th September 2020 within barely a week.

The Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yaw Kwakwa made the disclosure on Joy News.

“In total, the first day we got about 200 people but the numbers have been increasing to today(Sunday). We’re doing 641 people so I should say we are gradually whipping up the numbers of passengers arriving in the country.”

Ghana reopened its only international airport on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 but with new regulations in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

The Kotoka International Airport was closed in March along with other border points in a bid to contain the virus in the west African country.

“I am glad to announce that Kotoka International Airport will reopen and resume operations from Tuesday, 1st September 2020,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a nationwide broadcast.

New safety measures have been imposed to prevent passengers bringing the virus into the country.

“Any passenger arriving in Ghana must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 PCR test result from an accredited laboratory in the country of origin,” he said.

The test should have been done not more than 72 hours before their departure.

All airlines are to ensure compliance with the directive for passengers wishing to travel to Ghana, he said.

In addition, arriving passengers must undergo a Covid-19 test at the airport terminal at their own cost, though children under five will be exempt, he said.

“Passengers, who test positive for COVID-19, will be handled by the health authorities for further clinical assessment and management.”